


The Wrong Essay

by twentysixletters



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Funny, but it was fun to write, not very long
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-28
Updated: 2015-05-28
Packaged: 2018-04-01 17:24:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 691
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4028449
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/twentysixletters/pseuds/twentysixletters
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Professor McGonagall gives Lily back an essay she didn't write. Meanwhile, James' essay has gone missing.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Wrong Essay

“I have to say, those of you who did this did it very well,” Professor McGonagall commented as she began to hand the essays back. “But a disturbing number of you do not appear to have handed it in at all.”

Lily shifted uncomfortably in her seat. She’d explained to Professor McGonagall why she hadn’t had time to do the homework- she’d had a complicated prefecting job to sort out –but that didn’t make her any more comfortable.

A few desks behind her, James sat back in his set and smirked confidently. Not only had he actually done the essay this time, but he was pretty sure it would have a good grade- mainly because he’d managed to persuade Remus to check through it.

So he was surprised to hear the professor say “Mr Potter, I assume that smirk is because you have a realistic excuse why your homework is not here? And please don’t try to tell me that your dog ate it this time.”

Pausing to glare at Sirius, who had dissolved into sniggers at the last remark (Sirius knew better than anyone that a dog had, in fact, once eaten his homework) he protested, “I did hand it in this time, Professor!”

She raised a sceptical eyebrow. “Be that as it may, Mr Potter, there is no essay from you in this pile. So I’ll see you in my office at eight sharp tonight, please.” James started to argue, but she cut him off, adding, “If you complain, that will be extended to every night this week.”

He couldn’t risk that- he had Quidditch practice and prefect duty. So he shut up and sat back in his seat, fuming. Sirius interrupted his sniggering long enough to shoot him a sympathetic glance, and Remus whispered, “Bad luck, mate.”

Lily rolled her eyes. The arrogant prat- why did he always think he could escape homework with flimsy excuses? As she shook her head, Professor McGonagall slid an essay onto her desk. “I appreciate you finding time to write this essay, Miss Evans, but I’m afraid it’s not at all up to your usual standards, and the hand writing leaves something to be desired. You may want to write your name higher up, too.”

She was dumbstruck with confusion, picking the essay up and scanning it bemusedly. Sure enough, there was her name, scribbled halfway down the page- but written in a handwriting that, while familiar, was not her own.

She flicked to the second page, and suddenly it made sense.

The name scribbled at the bottom was James Potter. He’d been doodling her name on his homework.

Meanwhile, James had been desperately racking his brains for what might have happened to his essay. The burst of laughter that came from Lily Evans made him look up sharply, along with the rest of the class- and realisation burst into his mind.

He’d been doodling on the paper, hadn’t he? He’d been shut in the library, desperately trying to finish the essay that was due tomorrow, because he didn’t need another detention. But he was exhausted after Quidditch, and Evans had been sat a few tables away, laughing with her friends, her green eyes shining and tossing that gorgeous red hair over her shoulder…

Oh, fuck.

Barely able to control her embarrassed giggles, Lily showed the second sheet to Professor McGonagall, who had come to investigate. She nodded crisply in understanding, collected the parchment up, and walked to James’ desk. Her eyes glinted with dry humour.

James could barely bring his head up to watch her approach. He could feel the humiliation heating his cheeks.

“Consider your detention cancelled, Mr Potter. In future, please try to restrain yourself from writing Miss Evans’ name on your work.”

The entire class broke down into laughter as they realised what had happened. No one was louder than Sirius or Remus, both of whom could barely move.

James dropped his head back to the desk. He was considering never looking up again. He wished McGonagall had kept it quieter, because he was never going to live this down.

Really, he would have preferred a week’s detention.


End file.
